Ultimatums

Chapter 56

Marlene sat in her bed, sipping at her tea and flicking through the Muggle tv. She hadn't been in the room for this long since she'd started Hogwarts and all she knew was going into hiding got boring fast. Her brother had been asking to play with her for the past week, but she kept fobbing him off. "I'm busy Daniel" she'd shout at him. Busy sulking in her room, waiting to be free. Waiting to see Dorcas again.

A blast came from downstairs. The shredded door hit the floor, and a scream echoed along the walls. Footsteps thundered up the stairs and Marlene opened the door for Daniel to run through. He was only six.

She cast charms on the door, locking it thoroughly and hugging her brother tight. Marlene already knew her parents were found. Scream after scream after scream, each more disturbing then the last. Tears leaked and she joined Daniel in heart wrenching silent sobs.

"Oh Dan. When we get out of here, we'll play all day. We'll play for as long as you want..."

Another scream.

Marlene clamped her hand over hers and her brothers mouths. And then it went silent downstairs which was almost worse.

The air was thick, choking them both. All Marlene could do was stroke Daniel's hair and rock him back and forth. It wasn't possible to escape without running into the intruders.

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Marlene" the voice whispered. "Marlene it's okay. It's me. We're here to help. Emmeline and Frank are downstairs duelling the Death Eaters. C'mon, let me in"

Peter.

Marlene scrambled to find her wand, undoing the charms and standing to open the door. But then she stopped, stock still. She dropped her wand. "Pete..?"

Her old school friend was standing between two masked Death Eaters, their wands pointed at her.

"Daniel run" she shrieked and even though she knew any effort was futile, she picked up her own wand and pointed it back.

Peter smiled slightly and sent one of the Death Eaters after him.

Marlene heard his body thump against the floor moments after.

"How could you?" she whispered, her cheeks tear streaked and her body trembling. "How could you? We trusted you"

And as she stood there, waiting for the final blow, the fatal strike, it all came crashing down on her. She couldn't tell the Order who the spy was. Her family was dead. All her friends were at risk...

Avada Kedevra.

☏

Sirius bounced Lyra up and down on his knee half heartedly. He'd needed to escape Potter Manor, it was too sad. Too defeated. He needed to be around people he knew were on the way to ending the war.

Dorcas was inconsolable. Lily and Alice were no better. Frank was watching Harry and Neville, being the only one who could actually think straight. Remus and James were doing the best they could to grieve and support at the same time.

When he'd told Hermione and Regulus about the McKinnon murders, they bowed their heads but that was all. The way you do at a memorial service for people you didn't know. Sirius knew they felt guilt. But what he needed to know was how the Death Eaters had found the McKinnons. And Hermione was his best bet.

When he asked, Hermione turned to Regulus. They were doing that thing they did, where they had a conversation through a stare. It was the type of communication that couples only bragged about, except theirs was real.